An independent voice for ALP reform

Jamie Gardiner for National Conference

Jamie Gardiner

As a member of the Independents/Non-aligned Group I am particularly keen on promoting democracy within the party, such as this first-ever rank & file ballot for National Conference delegates, ending branch-stacking and other rorts and so making our party truly fit to govern.

A State Conference Delegate for the Melbourne FEA, for many years I’ve been on the Victorian ALP’s Justice & Democracy Policy Committee, contributing to policy formation and recommendations adopted in the State Platform on many occasions, most recently in specific human rights commitments of the 2014 Platform.

I am Secretary of the LGBTI Affairs Policy Committee, and have been since its inception in 2008. We developed policy initiatives expanding and embedding the ALP’s commitment to equality for LGBTI communities in both State and National Platforms—more still to do! As a 2011 National Conference Delegate I helped further develop numerous policy initiatives, based on the work I and the
committee had done in the 2010 State Platform, and these—including marriage equality—were adopted.The work we did for the 2014 Victorian Platform, further developing the 2010 work, formed part of the Andrews Government’s successful election policy.

I am on the LGBTI Taskforce—a Ministerial advisory body in the Department of Premier & Cabinet, Equality Branch—and the Human Rights Law Centre board, and a volunteer lawyer in HRLC’s Expungement Legal Service.

From 2000 to 2009 I was a Member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, playing a leading role in 2006’s successful Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities campaign, a major Bracks Government achievement